Intercommunicating telephone.



No. 866,794. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

G. E. LEE. INTERGOMMUNIGATING TELEPHONE.

APPLIOATION FILED P3128, 1906. I

B SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wit/Lassa R1 7 yfia 21. M QZ No. 866,794. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. 0. E.LEE. INTEROOMMUNIGATING TELEPHONE.

APPLICATION .IILED FEB. 28, 1906.

2 SHEETS-$113111 2.

[nventar m 55/ UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. LEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC GOODS MANFGCOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

INTERCOMMUNICATING TELEPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed February 28,1906. Serial No. 308,375.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, county oi, Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and usei'ul Improvement in Intercommunicating Telephones, oi which the following is a specification.

The main purpose of my invention is to avoid the necessity inintercommunicating telephones of returning the switch-bar or switch-plugto the home connection or position.

My invention consists in so combining and adapting and connectingcertain springs with the switch-bar and its connecting terminal pointsat each intercommunieating station as to obtain the above result.

My invention will be plain from the drawings, in which Figure 1 is adiagrammatic plan of so much of an entire apparatus as is necessaryhere; Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are plans showing the different positions ofthe springs and push-button. Figs. 6 and 7 are modifications.

I have not shown the circuits, as those will be readily understood.

I will now describe my invention, referring to said drawings. Y

X is a telephone hanging upon the telephone-hook A which extends beyondits pivotal point into a latch a.

D is a springoi the usual switch-hook combination shown merely toindicate how latch a is depressed on removal of telephone.

1, 2, 3 and 4 are springs, of which spring 1. is connected with acircuit which extends by wire y to switch-arm B which is in movableconnection with points 1 to 11, which connect with circuit wires extending to that number or any desired number oI distant stations to besimilarly constructed. Spring 2 is in connection with the talkingmechanism; spring 3 with the home or station circuit-wire; spring 4 isthe terminal of the battery which rings the bell.

In Fig. 1. and Fig. 2, the push-button C, the latch on and the springs1, 2, 3 and 4 are shown in normal position, the telephone being upon thehook A and its latch portion a being thus out of contact with any ofsprings 1, 2, 3 and 4.

In Fig. 3, the receiver has been removed from the hook A which hasallowed its latch-end a to fall behind spring 2, and in position toengage spring 1.

In Fig. 4, the push-button C has been pressed and spring 1 has slippedby the latch a, slightly elevating the same in passing, which latch hasagain sprung down to catch spring 1 and said push-button in pushingspring 1 has, by means of pin 5 thereon, pushed against insulator 6 onspring 3, and so pushed spring away from talking-circuit spring 2 andbrought spring 2 into contact with switch-arm spring 1, which positionis then locked by the latch a and thus establisheseleo 'tric connectionthrough wire y with switch-arm B and so potentially to any one of thepoints 1 to 11 according to the position of the switch 13.

In Fig. 5, by means of further or a second pressure upon the push-buttonC, the switch-arm spring 1 brings spring 2 in contact with the ringingspring 4 which, through switch 13, is thus brought in circuit with thebell of any desired station, thereby calling such station.

Upon removing pressure from the push-button, the talking proceeds. Whenthe talking is ended, the telephone being hung on the hook A interruptsthe circuit so established by releasing spring 1 from engagement withlatch a and so returns the springs to the position of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I show a possible construction, using only threesprings, in this case the latch a takes the place of spring 2, and ispermanently connected with the talking mechanism, and so adjusted thatwhen the latch a is in normal position with the receiver on the hook A,as shown in Fig. 6, a circuit is established between spring 3 and thelatch a, giving the same result as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, where thesprings 2 and 3 are in contact. Upon pressing the button 0, the spring 3is pushed away from contact with latch a by the action pin 5 of spring 1pressing against the insulated piece on spring 3, and in its placespring 1 is held by latch a and makes contact through the same to thetalking mechanism; thus it will be seen that Fig. 6 shows a condition togive the same results as are obtained in Fig. 3, while Fig. 7 shows thesame results as are obtained in Fig. 4. The iiual push of the buttonbrings spring 1 in contact with spring 4, thus ringing the bell as inthe case where four springs are used.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In inter-communicating telephone devices, the combination with thepivot telephone-hook A of an extension thereof beyond the pivot forminga latch a thereon, a circuitconnecting' mechanism controllable by saidlatch, a pushbutton controlling the relations of said latch with thecircuit-conecting mechanism aforesaid, and, a circuitconnectingmechanism or switch for 'connecting with any desired number of terminalpoints; substantially as described and shown.

2. In inter-communicating telephone devices, the combination of apuslrbutton, circuit-springs properly arranged in relation thereto, atelephone-hook properly pivoted and extendinginto a latch so arrangedthat the weight of the telephone upon the hook will hold the latch apartfrom any of said springs, means for depressing latch a on removal oftelephone, a switch-arm and any desired number of terminal points, and:1 wire 1 connecting one of said springs with said switch-arm andterminal points; substantially as described and shown.

In witness whereof, I. hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day ofFebruary, 190G.

' CHARLES E. LEE.

Witnesses CHARLES W. WILKINS, .TonN N. QICCLINrocK.

